Constructing an aircraft begins with assembling detail parts into aircraft subassemblies. These aircraft subassemblies are later positioned adjacent one another for final assembly of the aircraft. Tooling fixtures are used throughout the assembly process to prevent detail parts and aircraft subassemblies from being located and assembled incorrectly. For example, one type of tooling fixture may include fixed position stops that the detail fitting or aircraft subassembly seats against in order to position the detail part or aircraft subassembly in three dimensions. After locating the detail part or aircraft subassembly with the tooling fixture, the detail part or aircraft subassembly may be drilled or attached to mating aircraft structure.
In addition to tooling fixtures, detail parts and aircraft subassemblies often include interface control points to properly locate mating aircraft structure. For example, one aircraft supplier may manufacture and supply the wings of the aircraft while another aircraft supplier may manufacture and supply the fuselage of the aircraft. The wing and fuselage subassemblies may contain interface control points to prevent mislocating or misaligning the wing subassemblies with the fuselage subassembly during final assembly of the aircraft.
Conventional tooling for aircraft assembly, however, suffer several disadvantages. For example, variations in tooling tolerances from one tooling fixture to another, and variations from one detail part or aircraft subassembly to another, prevent properly locating or aligning the aircraft subassemblies during final assembly of the aircraft. As a result, the assembled aircraft does not represent the aircraft as designed. Additionally, conventional tooling fixtures do not control or provide the ability to measure performance or other global characteristics of the aircraft during assembly. For example, variations between the left side of the aircraft and the right side of the aircraft will affect performance characteristics of the aircraft such as range and fuel consumption.